JP2021059170A - Automatic operation control system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide plural types of deceleration control which can be executed on the basis of a command of an operator while an automatic operation vehicle is traveling in an automatic operation mode.SOLUTION: A SLOWDOWN button 80 is installed on a touch panel 28 of an automatic operation vehicle 10. An automatic operation control system enables different types of deceleration control to be executed through long pressing of the SLOWDOWN button 80, first operation, and short pressing thereof, second operation, while the automatic operation vehicle is traveling in an automatic operation mode. For example, when the long pressing is performed, deceleration of the automatic operation vehicle 10 is completed at a time of t4 immediately after a time of t3 when the long pressing is completed. In contrast, when the short pressing is performed, deceleration thereof is completed after a lapse of a relatively long period since a time when the short pressing is completed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic driving control system adopted in an automatic driving vehicle.

Self-driving vehicles capable of self-driving are known. Autonomous driving means that a computer executes all or part of driving control including vehicle speed control or steering control. The autonomous driving vehicle generally has a plurality of driving modes including an automatic driving mode in which automatic driving is performed or a manual driving mode in which an operator in the autonomous driving vehicle controls driving. Further, in the automatic driving vehicle, in the automatic driving mode, there is a vehicle that receives an operation input from an operator and performs control.

Patent Document 1 below describes that, in an autonomous driving vehicle, two switches for emergency control are provided near a driver (corresponding to an operator). A switch located relatively far from the driver is always used for emergency control, and a switch located relatively close to the driver is displayed on the touch panel when the driver's physical condition is detected.

JP-A-2018-124855

In an autonomous driving vehicle, if it is possible to decelerate or stop according to the operator's intention while traveling in the autonomous driving mode, it is considered that convenience can be improved and it is possible to cope with various traffic conditions. However, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, only two emergency stop buttons are provided, and the intention of the operator cannot be met. In particular, in an autonomous driving vehicle having no driver's seat and not having a brake pedal, an accelerator pedal, a steering wheel, or the like, there is an increasing need to enable a plurality of instructions from the operator.

An object of the present invention is to prepare a plurality of modes of deceleration control or acceleration control to be performed based on an operator's instruction while traveling in an automatic driving mode in an autonomous driving vehicle.

In one aspect of the automatic driving control system according to the present invention, an operation input device that is manually operated by an operator to receive a first operation or a second operation while traveling in the automatic driving mode, and the operation input device are described above. When the first operation is accepted, the first deceleration control is performed to decelerate the autonomous driving vehicle, and when the second operation is accepted, the second deceleration control is performed to decelerate the autonomous driving vehicle. And, compared to the time from the completion of the first operation to the completion of deceleration by the first deceleration control, the deceleration by the second deceleration control is completed after the completion of the second operation. It takes longer to get there.

In one aspect of the autonomous driving control system, the first deceleration control is a control for decelerating the autonomous driving vehicle during the period during which the first operation is being performed, and deceleration is performed immediately after the first operation is completed. Complete.

In one aspect of the autonomous driving control system, the second deceleration control is a control for decelerating the autonomous driving vehicle to a speed that cannot be reached immediately after the second operation is completed.
In one aspect of the automatic driving control system, the second deceleration control decelerates by setting a predetermined target vehicle speed or a change amount of the vehicle speed.

In one aspect of the automatic driving control system, the first operation and the second operation are performed on a common portion of the operation input device, and the operation input device determines an operation on the common portion. The first operation or the second operation is accepted.

In one aspect of the automatic driving control system, the common part of the operation input device is the same button provided on the touch panel.

In one aspect of the automatic operation control system, the common part of the operation input device is the same button or lever, the first operation is a long press of the button or the lever, and the second operation is the same. A short press on the button or the lever.

In one aspect of the automatic driving control system, the automatic driving vehicle runs in the automatic driving mode after the completion of the first deceleration control.

In one aspect of the automatic driving control system, the automatic driving vehicle runs in the automatic driving mode after the completion of the second deceleration control.

In one aspect of the automatic driving control system, the automatic driving vehicle is further provided with an emergency stop operation input device for instructing an emergency stop, and when the emergency stop operation input device is operated, the first deceleration control is performed. And the emergency stop control is performed with priority over the second deceleration control.
In one aspect of the automatic driving control system, an operation input device that is manually operated by an operator to receive a first operation or a second operation while traveling in the automatic driving mode, and the operation input device performs the first operation. When the second operation is accepted, the first acceleration control is performed to accelerate the autonomous driving vehicle, and when the second operation is accepted, the second acceleration control is performed to accelerate the autonomous driving vehicle. , The time from the completion of the second operation to the completion of the acceleration by the second acceleration control, as compared with the time from the completion of the first operation to the completion of the acceleration by the first acceleration control. Is longer.
For example, the first acceleration control is a control for accelerating the self-driving vehicle during the period during which the first operation is being performed, and the acceleration is completed immediately after the first operation is completed. For example, the second acceleration control is a control for accelerating the autonomous driving vehicle to a speed that cannot be reached immediately after the completion of the second operation. The second acceleration control accelerates by setting a predetermined target vehicle speed or a change amount of the vehicle speed.
For example, the self-driving vehicle runs in the self-driving mode after the completion of the first acceleration control. Further, for example, the self-driving vehicle runs in the self-driving mode after the completion of the second acceleration control.

While driving in the automatic operation mode, the operator selects deceleration by the first deceleration control and the second deceleration control in which the time from the completion of the operation to the completion of deceleration is different, or the time from the completion of the operation to the completion of acceleration is different. It is possible to select acceleration by the first acceleration control and the second acceleration control. This makes it possible to drive the autonomous driving vehicle in a form close to the intention of the operator.

It is an external view of the self-driving vehicle which concerns on this embodiment. It is a 1st perspective view which shows the interior of the self-driving vehicle which concerns on this embodiment. It is a 2nd perspective view which shows the interior of the self-driving vehicle which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the screen of the touch panel at the time of stop. It is a figure which shows the screen of the touch panel at the time of automatic driving. It is a figure which exemplifies the time change of the speed when it presses and holds. It is a figure which exemplifies the time change of the speed at the time of short-pressing. It is a figure which illustrates the time change of the speed when a short press is performed twice in succession. It is a figure which illustrates the time change when the deceleration end instruction is given during deceleration. This is a display example of the SLOWDOWN button and the SPEEDUP button. This is a display example of the SLOWDOWN button and the SPEEDUP button. This is a display example of the SLOWDOWN button and the SPEEDUP button. It is a figure which illustrates the time change of the speed when accelerating by a short press. It is a figure which illustrates the time change in the case of accelerating automatically after the deceleration is completed. It is a schematic diagram which shows the time change of the speed at the time of the emergency stop button operation.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description, specific embodiments are shown for ease of understanding, but these are examples of embodiments, and various other embodiments can be taken.

FIG. 1 is an external view of the autonomous driving vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment. In each figure of the present specification, the terms front (FR) and rear mean front and rear in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the terms left (LH) and right mean left and right when facing forward, and above (UP). And below means up and down in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

The autonomous driving vehicle 10 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped and has a front-rear symmetrical shape, and its appearance design is also front-rear symmetrical. Pillars 12 extending in the vertical direction are provided at the four corners in a plan view, and wheels 14 are provided below each pillar 12. Most of the front, rear, left, and right side walls of the autonomous driving vehicle 10 are translucent panels 16. The panel 16 may be a display panel, and characters and the like may be displayed on the panel 16.

A part of the panel on the left side surface is a slideable door 18, and the door 18 slides open so that an occupant can get on and off. Although not shown in FIG. 1, a slope that can be taken in and out is housed in the lower part of the door 18. The slope is used for getting on and off a wheelchair.

Further, the automatic driving vehicle 10 is a vehicle capable of automatic driving. Specifically, the automatic driving vehicle 10 can be operated in a plurality of driving modes including an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode. In the present embodiment, as the automatic driving mode, a control mode by the management center and a control mode by the automatic driving vehicle 10 are provided.

The automatic operation mode is an operation mode in which a computer mainly performs operation control. In the present specification, the driving control is a concept including shift change control, vehicle speed control, or steering control. Further, the vehicle speed control is a concept including start control, stop control, and acceleration / deceleration control of the autonomous driving vehicle 10.

Among the automatic driving modes, the control mode by the management center is a mode in which the driving control is performed by the computer mounted on the automatic driving vehicle 10 under the driving instruction from the management center. The management center is provided for managing and controlling a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles 10, and is constructed so as to be able to communicate with each autonomous driving vehicle 10. In the control mode by the management center, the traveling route of the autonomous driving vehicle 10 is determined by the instruction of the management center. In addition, most of the driving control by the computer mounted on the autonomous driving vehicle 10 is also executed under the instruction of the management center. However, in the present embodiment, the start control from the stopped state is performed in response to an instruction operated by the operator boarding the autonomous driving vehicle 10.

Of the automatic driving modes, the control mode by the automatic driving vehicle 10 is, in principle, not receiving an instruction from the outside, and most of the driving control of the automatic driving vehicle 10 is determined only by the judgment of the computer mounted on the automatic driving vehicle 10. This is the operation mode to be performed. In the present embodiment, in the control mode by the autonomous driving vehicle 10, the autonomous driving vehicle is not instructed by the management center and is based on the detection results by various sensors (for example, a camera or a rider) provided in the autonomous driving vehicle 10. Ten computers control driving and travel on a predetermined route. However, the start control from the stopped state is performed in response to an instruction operated by the operator boarding the autonomous driving vehicle 10.

The manual driving mode is a mode in which the automatic driving vehicle 10 does not perform automatic driving, and the operator riding on the automatic driving vehicle 10 controls the operation of the automatic driving vehicle 10.

The operator is a person who gets on the autonomous driving vehicle 10 and is involved in the control of the autonomous driving vehicle 10. In the automatic driving mode, since the management center or the automatic driving vehicle 10 itself mainly performs driving control, there are few opportunities for the operator to perform driving control. However, it can be said that the operator is involved in the transmission control from the stopped state and also has the authority to perform deceleration control and the like, as will be described later, and is involved in the control of the autonomous driving vehicle 10. In the manual driving mode, the operator plays a role as a driver who directly performs the driving operation of the autonomous driving vehicle 10, and can be said to be involved in the control of the autonomous driving vehicle 10.

The self-driving vehicle 10 is a shared vehicle on which an unspecified number of occupants ride. In the present embodiment, the self-driving vehicle 10 is used as a bus that transports passengers while traveling along a predetermined route in a specific site. Therefore, it is assumed that the autonomous driving vehicle 10 repeatedly stops and starts at a relatively high frequency. Further, the autonomous driving vehicle 10 is assumed to travel at a relatively low speed (for example, 30 km / h or less).

However, the usage pattern of the autonomous driving vehicle 10 disclosed in the present specification can be changed as appropriate. For example, the autonomous driving vehicle 10 may be used as a movable business space, and various products are displayed and sold. It may be used as a store such as a retail store or a restaurant that cooks and provides food and drink. Further, as another form, the autonomous driving vehicle 10 may be used as an office for performing office work, meetings with customers, and the like. Further, the usage scene of the autonomous driving vehicle 10 is not limited to business, and for example, the autonomous driving vehicle 10 may be used as an individual means of transportation. Further, the traveling pattern and the vehicle speed of the autonomous driving vehicle 10 may be changed as appropriate.

The self-driving vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle having a drive motor that receives electric power from a battery as a prime mover. The battery is a rechargeable and dischargeable secondary battery, and is periodically charged by external power. The self-driving vehicle 10 is not limited to the electric vehicle, and may be another type of vehicle. For example, the autonomous driving vehicle 10 may be an engine vehicle equipped with an engine as a prime mover, or a hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine and a drive motor as a prime mover. Further, the autonomous driving vehicle 10 may be a hydrogen vehicle in which a drive motor is driven by electric power generated by a fuel cell.

2 and 3 are perspective views showing the interior of the autonomous driving vehicle 10. As described above, since the self-driving vehicle 10 is used as a bus, the central portion of the vehicle interior is a floor 20 for a standing occupant or a wheelchair on which the occupant sits. In addition, seats 22 for passengers are provided along the side wall of the vehicle interior.

The autonomous driving vehicle 10 is provided with an operator seat 24 for an operator who controls the operation of the autonomous driving vehicle 10 and operates each device (air conditioner, wiper, etc.) provided in the autonomous driving vehicle 10. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the seat portion 24a of the operator seat 24 is lowered and the seat surface 24b appears, but the seat portion 24a can be flipped up. In the present embodiment, the operator seat 24 is provided on the left side surface of the vehicle interior and near the front side of the door 18, but the operator seat 24 may be provided on the right side surface of the vehicle interior.

On the front side of the operator seat 24, an armrest 26 extended in the front-rear direction is provided for an operator sitting on the operator seat 24 to place his / her arm. As described above, in the present embodiment, since the operator seat 24 is provided on the left side surface of the vehicle interior, the armrest 26 is arranged at the left end portion of the vehicle interior. If the operator seat 24 is provided on the right side surface of the vehicle interior, the armrest 26 is arranged at the right end portion of the vehicle interior. The armrest 26 is provided above the seat surface 24b of the operator seat 24 in a seatable state.

A touch panel 28 standing above the upper surface of the armrest 26 is provided at the front end of the armrest 26 (see FIG. 3). The touch panel 28 faces the rear side (that is, the operator seat 24 side). Therefore, the operator can operate the touch panel 28 by hand while sitting on the operator's seat 24 and placing his arm on the armrest 26. The touch panel 28 enables input of vehicle speed control instructions in the automatic driving mode and input of device control instructions to devices (winkers, horns, headlights, air conditioners, wipers, etc.) provided in the automatic driving vehicle 10. There is. Details of the display screen of the touch panel 28 will be described later.

Further, the armrest 26 is provided with a storage unit 30 for storing a mechanical operation unit for inputting a driving control instruction to the autonomous driving vehicle 10. The storage unit 30 is covered with a lid 32, and when the storage unit 30 is stored in the storage unit 30, the mechanical operation unit is not exposed in the vehicle interior. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the armrest 26 and the lid 32 are flush with each other. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 30 is provided in the armrest 26, but the storage unit 30 may be provided in a place other than the armrest 26. Even in that case, the storage portion 30 may be provided in an inconspicuous place, for example, at any end of the front, rear, left, or right sides of the vehicle interior. The mechanical operation unit is mainly pulled out from the storage unit 30 when the operation mode of the automatic driving vehicle 10 is the manual operation mode. When the operation mode of the automatic driving vehicle 10 is the automatic driving mode, the mechanical operation unit is usually stored in the storage unit 30 in order to prevent erroneous operation of the mechanical operation unit.

Further, on the upper surface of the armrest 26, an emergency stop button 34, which is an emergency stop operation input device, is provided for the autonomous driving vehicle 10. The emergency stop button 34 is a mechanical button for manually inputting an emergency stop instruction. Here, the mechanical button is not a button displayed by a program on the touch panel 28 or the like, but a button that actually exists physically. When the operator presses the emergency stop button 34, the emergency stop button 34 transmits a signal converted into an electric signal to the operation control device.

The mechanical emergency stop button 34 is a device that accepts an operator's push operation. As the emergency stop operation input device, for example, a mechanical lever or the like may be adopted instead of the emergency stop button 34, or a button displayed on the touch panel 28 (which accepts an operator's push operation or contact operation). ) May be adopted.

The self-driving vehicle 10 is provided with only three operation input devices for inputting vehicle speed control instructions of the self-driving vehicle 10, a touch panel 28, a mechanical operation unit, and an emergency stop button 34. That is, the self-driving vehicle 10 is not provided with a foot pedal operated by a foot for inputting a vehicle speed control instruction, such as an accelerator pedal or a brake pedal, which is provided in a conventional automobile or the like.

A display 36 for displaying information about the autonomous driving vehicle 10 is provided in the front left corner of the vehicle interior (see FIG. 3). The display 36 displays, for example, information such as the vehicle speed of the autonomous driving vehicle 10, the outside air temperature, and the next stop. Like the touch panel 28, the display 36 also faces the rear side, so that the touch panel 28 and the display 36 can be seen side by side when viewed from the operator sitting in the operator's seat. As a result, the operator can preferably visually recognize both the touch panel 28 and the display 36. Preferably, the display 36 is provided at the same height as the touch panel 28. Specifically, the upper end of the display 36 and the upper end of the touch panel 28 have the same height, the lower end of the display 36 and the lower end of the touch panel 28 have the same height, or the center in the height direction of the display 36. The touch panel 28 is provided so as to have the same height as the center in the height direction.

4 and 5 show a screen displayed on the touch panel 28 and an emergency stop button 34 provided at the bottom of the touch panel 28. FIG. 4 is a display screen when the automatic driving vehicle 10 is in the automatic driving mode and is stopped, and FIG. 5 is a display screen when the automatic driving vehicle 10 is in the automatic driving mode and is running. is there.

First, an outline of the touch panel 28 will be described with reference to FIG. The buttons provided on the touch panel 28 are as follows: an operation mode button 44 for inputting an operation mode change instruction, a shift button 46 for inputting a shift change control instruction, and a winker button for controlling a winker. 48, 49, light button 50 for controlling headlight / taillight, P-brake button 52 for inputting operation / release instruction of electric parking brake, hazard button 54 for operating hazard, operating horn A horn button 56 for controlling a vehicle, a GO button 60 for instructing a start, an air conditioner tab 62 for controlling an air conditioner, and a wiper tab 64 for controlling a wiper. Of these, when the air conditioner tab 62 is touched, various buttons for controlling the air conditioner are displayed, and when the wiper tab 64 is touched, various buttons for controlling the wiper are displayed. Further, on the upper 66 of the touch panel 28, the remaining battery level of the autonomous driving vehicle 10, the open / closed state of the door 18, the slope state, and the detection status of various sensors provided in the autonomous driving vehicle 10 are displayed. Will be.

The operation mode button 44 is set so that it can be operated only when the automatic driving vehicle 10 is stopped. In the example shown in FIG. 4, "AUTO" indicating the automatic operation mode is selected. In the automatic driving mode, the running is controlled by the control device for automatic driving, and in the manual driving mode, the running is controlled by the control device for manual driving. Further, in the present embodiment, in the automatic operation mode, the shift button 46 is set to be inoperable so that the shift change cannot be performed by the operator operation.

The GO button 60 is a button displayed on the touch panel 28 when the automatic driving vehicle 10 is in the automatic driving mode and is stopped. The GO button 60 is a button for inputting a start instruction to the autonomous driving vehicle 10, and when the GO button 60 is operated, the autonomous driving vehicle 10 (under the control of the control device for automatic driving) In this case, the vehicle starts running (in the automatic operation mode).

With reference to FIG. 5, the touch panel 28 when the autonomous driving vehicle 10 is traveling in the automatic driving mode will be described. While traveling in the automatic operation mode, the SLOWDOWN button 80 is displayed on the touch panel 28 instead of the GO button 60. The SLOWDOWN button 80 is a button for inputting a deceleration control instruction to the control device of the autonomous driving vehicle 10. Here, it is assumed that the SLOWDOWN button 80 can accept a plurality of operations. That is, the SLOWDOWN button 80 corresponds to a common part where the first operation and the second operation are performed in the operation input device. By performing the first operation and the second operation on the common part, it is possible to simplify the layout of the touch panel 28 (referring to the button arrangement in the user interface). The automatic driving control system includes an operation input device for deceleration (for acceleration when accelerating control is performed) including an SLOWDOWN button 80 displayed on the touch panel 28, a control device for automatic driving, and the like. To.

(1) First Embodiment Under the premise described above, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. In the first embodiment, a case where a long press is adopted as an example of the first operation is shown, and a case where a short press is adopted as an example of the second operation is shown. The long press means an operation of pressing the SLOWDOWN button 80 for a longer time than the set time Δt (for example, 1 second). When the long press is performed, the self-driving vehicle 10 decelerates only for the period during which the SLOWDOWN button 80 is pressed (this is an example of the first deceleration control). The short press means an operation of pressing the SLOWDOWN button 80 for a time shorter than the set time Δt. When the short press is performed, the self-driving vehicle 10 is decelerated to some extent according to the setting (this is an example of the second deceleration control). Therefore, even after the SLOWDOWN button 80 is released, the deceleration is automatically continued until the set speed is reached. In the present specification, the term "speed" refers to a scalar amount that does not consider the traveling direction.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the first operation and the first deceleration control. In FIG. 6, it is assumed that the operator presses and holds the SLOWDOWN button 80 while the autonomous driving vehicle 10 is traveling in the automatic driving mode. In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis is time. Further, the lower part of FIG. 6 is a graph showing whether the SLOWDOWN button 80 is not pressed (Button OFF) or pressed (Button ON) at each time. Then, in the upper part of FIG. 6, the time change of the speed (vertical axis) of the autonomous driving vehicle 10 is displayed.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, the autonomous driving vehicle 10 is initially traveling at a speed of V0. Then, at time t1, the operator has started the operation of pressing the SLOWDOWN button 80. In the autonomous driving vehicle 10, deceleration is started at time t2 (for example, 0.1 seconds after time t1) immediately after the SLOWDOWN button 80 is pressed. The operator continues to press the SLOWDOWN button 80 even after the deceleration is started, and it is recognized that the long press is performed when the set time Δt elapses starting from the time t1. Therefore, the self-driving vehicle 10 continues to decelerate while the SLOWDOWN button 80 is continuously pressed.

The operator has completed the pressing operation of the SLOWDOWN button 80 at time t3. The deceleration is completed at time t4 immediately after this. The time from time t3 to time t4 (the time from the completion of the first operation to the completion of deceleration by the first deceleration control is referred to as the "first time") is as short as, for example, about 0.1 second. It is set. By the time t4, the self-driving vehicle 10 has been decelerated to the speed V1, and after the time t4, the vehicle continues to run at the speed V1.

After that, at time t5, the operator starts pressing the SLOWDOWN button 80 again. Immediately after that, at time t6, the self-driving vehicle 10 starts decelerating. Then, when the time during which the pressing operation is performed exceeds the set time Δt, it is determined that the pressing operation is performed. The pushing operation is completed at time t7, and deceleration is completed at time t8 immediately after that (which also corresponds to the first hour). The self-driving vehicle 10 is traveling at the decelerated speed V2 after the time t8.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the second operation and the second deceleration control. In FIG. 7, it is assumed that the operator briefly presses the SLOWDOWN button 80 while the autonomous driving vehicle 10 is traveling in the automatic driving mode. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the autonomous driving vehicle 10 is initially traveling at a speed of V0. Then, at time t1, the operator has started the operation of pressing the SLOWDOWN button 80. In the autonomous driving vehicle 10, deceleration is started at time t2 (for example, 0.1 seconds after time t1) immediately after the SLOWDOWN button 80 is pressed. The flow up to this point is the same as the example shown in FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the operator has completed the pressing operation of the SLOWDOWN button 80 at time t9 after the deceleration is started. At time t9, since the set time Δt has not elapsed from time t1, it is determined that the SLOWDOWN button 80 has been briefly pressed. Therefore, in the autonomous driving vehicle 10, control is performed to reduce the speed from the initial speed V0 to the speed V3 decelerated by ΔV (for example, 5 km / h, 10 km / h, etc.). The speed V3 is separated from the speed at time t9 and is set to a value that cannot be reached in a short time. Therefore, the time from the completion of the second operation to the completion of deceleration by the second deceleration control is referred to as the "second time" at the time t10 when a relatively long time has passed from the time t9 (for a time such as from time t9 to time t10). The speed of the self-driving vehicle 10 has reached V3. After the deceleration is completed at time t10, the running at the speed V3 is continued.

At time t11, the pressing operation of the SLOWDOWN button 80 is started again. Then, at time t12 immediately after that, the deceleration of the autonomous driving vehicle 10 is started. Here, too, the operator does not press and hold the SLOWDOWN button 80, and completes the pressing operation at the time t13 before the lapse of Δt from the time t11. Therefore, in the self-driving vehicle 10, the speed is controlled to be reduced from the speed V3 to the speed V4 which is reduced by ΔV. Then, after reaching the speed V4 at the time t14 (the time from the time t13 to the time t14 also corresponds to the second time), the vehicle continues to travel at a constant speed.

In this way, by discriminating between the case where the same SLOWDOWN button 80 is pressed for a long time and the case where the same SLOWDOWN button 80 is pressed for a short time and performing different deceleration controls, the deceleration modes that can be selected by the operator are increased. When the long press is completed, the deceleration is completed immediately after the completion (after a short first hour has passed). Here, immediately after means a short time so that the operator can recognize that the vehicle decelerates only during the period during which the first operation is performed. On the other hand, when the short press is completed, deceleration is performed to a slow speed over a relatively long second time.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the speed is reduced by ΔV by one short press. Then, the deceleration was controlled with the deceleration (the amount of time change of the vehicle speed, which corresponds to the time derivative value of the speed) being constant. However, deceleration can be set and controlled in various ways. For example, the final target speed may be set by a ratio to the initial speed (for example, deceleration that reduces the speed by 20% each time), or may be set by explicitly giving the speed. As an example of explicitly setting the target speed, a mode of decelerating to 15 km / h when traveling at a speed of 20 km / h or more and stopping when traveling at a speed of 20 km / h or less can be mentioned. .. Instead of giving the target speed, the target deceleration and deceleration time, or the target torque (which can also be called the braking braking force) and the deceleration time may be given to eventually decelerate to a certain speed.
Also in the process of decelerating toward the target speed, there are a mode in which the target deceleration is set and deceleration is performed, and a mode in which the target torque is set and deceleration is performed. In addition, the target time until deceleration is completed is set, and feedback control is performed while gradually changing the target speed so that the target speed can be reached within this target time, and the braking force (by torque) of the brake is controlled. It is also possible to decelerate as if it were.

In the above description, as the first deceleration control, a mode in which deceleration is completed immediately after the long press operation, which is the first operation, is completed has been described. However, in the first deceleration control, if the first time from the completion of the first operation to the completion of the deceleration is shorter than the second time, another control mode can be adopted. As an example, the first deceleration control is 5 km / h deceleration, the second deceleration control is 10 km / h deceleration, and the range of deceleration is smaller than that of the second deceleration control.
In the first embodiment, the operator can instruct the first deceleration control and the second deceleration control during the automatic operation mode. Therefore, the operator can drive the autonomous driving vehicle 10 as he / she intends.

(2) Second Embodiment The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The second embodiment is an embodiment relating to the second operation and the second deceleration control. Here, unlike the first embodiment, an example in which the short press is repeated in a short time will be described.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a case where the SLOWDOWN button 80 is briefly pressed, as in FIG. 7. Similar to FIG. 7, the operator performs a short press from time t1 to time t9. However, in the example of FIG. 8, unlike the example of FIG. 7, the short press operation is performed again immediately after the time t9 from the time t15 to the time t16. Therefore, in the autonomous driving vehicle 10, deceleration control is performed to reduce the speed from the initial speed V0 to the speed V4 decelerated by 2ΔV. Since the deceleration width is large, it takes a long time from the time t16 when the pushing operation is completed to the time t17 when the speed V4 is reached (the time from the time t16 to the time t17 corresponds to the second time).

In this way, when the SLOWDOWN button 80 is repeatedly operated, deceleration control in which the operations are integrated can be performed. In the example of FIG. 8, it is possible to set the degree of deceleration to be increased according to the number of repetitions of the short press.

On the other hand, when the SLOWDOWN button 80 is repeatedly operated, control may be performed so that only the last operation is valid. When only the last operation is valid, in the example of FIG. 8, the deceleration is completed by decelerating by ΔV from the speed at time t15. Further, in the example of FIG. 8, when the pressing operation from the time t15 is a long pressing, the deceleration is completed immediately after the long pressing is completed.

(3) Third Embodiment The third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The third embodiment is an embodiment relating to the second operation and the second deceleration control. In the third embodiment, it is assumed that the self-driving vehicle 10 is set to stop when the SLOWDOWN button 80 is briefly pressed.

In the example shown in FIG. 9, the SLOWDOWN button 80 is briefly pressed from time t1 to time t9, as in the case of FIG. 7. Therefore, in the self-driving vehicle 10 that was initially traveling at the speed V0, deceleration is started from time t2. If no particular operation is subsequently performed, the self-driving vehicle 10 continues to decelerate. Then, at time t21, the speed becomes 0 and the speed is stopped, and the deceleration control is completed. When the self-driving vehicle 10 is stopped, the GO button 60 is displayed again on the touch panel 28 instead of the SLOWDOWN button 80, as shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 further illustrates the situation when the SLOWDOWN button 80 is briefly pressed again from the time t18 to the time t19 during deceleration. Immediately after the short press is completed, the self-driving vehicle 10 completes deceleration at time t20, and thereafter, the vehicle continues to travel while maintaining the speed V5 at time t20. By enabling the operation of stopping deceleration in this way, it is possible to increase the options for deceleration control of the operator.

In the above description, it is assumed that when the SLOWDOWN button 80 is pressed for a short time, the deceleration is continued until the autonomous driving vehicle 10 stops. However, when the SLOWDOWN button 80 is briefly pressed, the deceleration may be automatically stopped when the set minimum speed is reached.

(4) Fourth Embodiment The fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10A to 10C and FIG. The fourth embodiment is an example in which not only the deceleration operation but also the acceleration operation is possible.

In the first to third embodiments, the deceleration control of the autonomous driving vehicle 10 is shown. However, when the SLOWDOWN button 80 is pressed to decelerate, it is possible to accelerate after that, which enhances the convenience of traveling.

As the traveling speed, only one of the set two stages can be selected, and when decelerating and accelerating between the two stages, the configuration of the button displayed on the touch panel 28 may be simple. For example, after pressing the SLOWDOWN button 80 shown in FIG. 5, instead of the SLOWDOWN button 80, the "SPEEDUP button" is displayed in the same place and in the same size, so that the acceleration operation input can be performed next. It will be possible. However, if the traveling speed can be selected from three or more stages, it would be rational to display so as to give both acceleration and deceleration options.

10A-10C show two adjacent buttons displayed in place of the SLOWDOWN button 80 on the touch panel 28 of FIG. The SLOWDOWN button 90 is arranged on the left side, and the SPEEDUP button 92 is arranged on the right side.

FIG. 10A is an example of a display in a situation where the vehicle is traveling at the maximum speed without a deceleration instruction (for example, before the time t1 in FIG. 6). The SLOWDOWN button 90 is clearly operably displayed, but the SPEEDUP button 92 is displayed (or not displayed) in a light color and is inoperable. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 6, at the stage before the time t1, only the instruction to decelerate by pressing the SLOWDOWN button 90 is possible, and the instruction to accelerate by pressing the SPEEDUP button 92 cannot be given.

FIG. 10B shows a display in a situation where deceleration is performed but further deceleration is possible (for example, after time t1 in FIG. 6). In this situation, both the SLOWDOWN button 90 and the SPEEDUP button 92 are operably and clearly displayed. Therefore, the operator can give an instruction for deceleration and an instruction for acceleration.

FIG. 10C shows a display in a situation where the vehicle is traveling at the minimum speed when the minimum speed is set and further deceleration cannot be performed. In this situation, the SLOWDOWN button 90 is displayed in a light color (or may not be displayed) and is inoperable, whereas the SPEEDUP button 92 is operably and clearly displayed. Therefore, the operator can give an instruction for acceleration, but cannot give an instruction for deceleration.

As described above, both the first operation and the second operation including a long press and a short press can be performed on the SLOWDOWN button 90 shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B. Similarly, the SPEEDUP button 92 shown in FIGS. 10B and 10C can be set to perform two operations including a long press and a short press. That is, in one operation, the acceleration control is completed after a relatively short time has elapsed after the operation is completed. In the other operation, the acceleration control is completed after a relatively long time has elapsed after the operation is completed.

Subsequently, a specific example of accelerating after deceleration will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 11, it is assumed that the SLOWDOWN button 90 shown in FIG. 10A is briefly pressed at time t1. Therefore, as in the example shown in FIG. 7, the speed is decelerated from V0 to V3 from time t2 to time t10. After the time t1 or after the time t2, the SLOWDOWN button 90 and the SPEEDUP button 92 shown in FIG. 10B are operably displayed on the touch panel 28. Then, at time t22, the pressing operation of the SPEEDUP button 92 is started. As a result, the self-driving vehicle 10 starts accelerating at the time t23 immediately after. The operator has completed the push operation at time t24. Since the time from the time t22 to the time t24 is shorter than the set time Δt, this pressing operation is determined to be a short pressing. Therefore, control is performed to accelerate from the speed V3 by ΔV and change to the speed V0. The self-driving vehicle 10 reaches a speed of V0 at time t25, and has maintained running at a speed of V0 thereafter.

In the example shown in FIG. 11, when the SPEEDUP button 92 is pressed for a longer time than the set time Δt from the time t22, it is determined that the long press operation has been performed. Therefore, the control to complete the acceleration is performed immediately after the long press is completed. Thus, the deceleration operation and control can also be applied to the acceleration operation and control. This situation is not limited to the technique described in the fourth embodiment, and the same applies to the technique described in the first to third embodiments and the fifth to sixth embodiments. Those skilled in the art can also apply the operations and controls relating to deceleration described herein to operations and controls relating to acceleration, and the operations and controls relating to acceleration described herein apply to operations and controls relating to deceleration. Will also be applicable.

(5) Fifth Embodiment The fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. A fifth embodiment shows an embodiment in which the vehicle is accelerated without pressing the SPEEDUP button 92.

In the example shown in FIG. 12, the SLOWDOWN button 80 is held down from time t1 to time t3, and the speed is reduced to V1 at time t4, as in the example shown in FIG. However, after time t4, acceleration control is automatically performed. As a result, at time t26, the maximum speed of V0 was reached, and after that, the vehicle continued to run at the speed of V0.

FIG. 12 shows an example of automatically accelerating to the original speed after the deceleration by long pressing is completed. Similarly, even after the deceleration by the short press is completed, the speed may be automatically accelerated to the original speed. In any case, in the fifth embodiment, since it is not necessary to explicitly instruct acceleration, only the SLOWDOWN button 80 shown in FIG. 5 needs to be displayed during traveling, and the display and operation are simplified.

In the first to fifth embodiments shown above, the first operation is a long press and the second operation is a short press. However, when the first operation and the second operation are performed on the same SLOWDOWN buttons 80 and 90, if the operator can operate them separately and the SLOWDOWN buttons 80 and 90 can distinguish between them. , Other various modes can be taken. As an example, a mode in which the first operation is a shallow press and the second operation is a deep press can be mentioned. Here, the shallow pressing means an operation of pressing the SLOWDOWN buttons 80 and 90 with a pressure weaker than a predetermined value, or an operation of pressing the SLOWDOWN buttons 80 and 90 with an area smaller than a predetermined value. Further, the deep pressing means an operation of pressing the SLOWDOWN button 80 with a pressure stronger than a predetermined value, or an operation of pressing the SLOWDOWN buttons 80 and 90 with an area wider than a predetermined value.

In the above description, the first operation and the second operation are distinguished by the difference in the operation mode of the SLOWDOWN buttons 80 and 90 provided on the touch panel 28. However, it is also possible to provide two buttons on the touch panel 28, one of which is a button for accepting a first operation and the other of which is a button for accepting a second operation. When two buttons are provided, it is not necessary to distinguish the operation for each button. When a plurality of buttons are provided on the touch panel 28, for example, they may be displayed in different colors so that the operator can easily see them.

When the operator operates the touch panel 28, a display may be displayed to convey the operation content or the control content to the operator in order to enhance the predictability of the control for the operation. For example, when distinguishing between the first operation and the second operation by a long press and a short press, it is convenient to be able to recognize the transition at the stage of transition from the short press to the long press. Therefore, it is conceivable to notify the transition by the message "Transition to long press" or the discoloration of the button color. A display may be used to inform the mode of deceleration control to be realized, such as "when the hand is released, the deceleration is stopped". Further, in the second operation, since the second time from the completion of the operation to the completion of deceleration becomes long, the mode of displaying the speed reached by acceleration / deceleration such as "decelerates to 20 km / h", "10 km / h". It is conceivable to display the magnitude of acceleration / deceleration such as "It will be slower".

Instead of the touch panel 28, a mechanical operation input device such as a physical button or lever may be provided. As the button, a pressing method, a rotatable dial method, or the like can be used.

The same button or lever can be configured to be capable of accepting both the first and second operations. As in the case of the touch panel 28, the first operation and the second operation are discriminated by, for example, a long press (in the case of a lever, it can be called a long tilt) and a short press (in the case of a lever, it can be called a short tilt). It can be carried out.

Different buttons or levers may be assigned for the first operation and the second operation, respectively. Further, the button or lever may be used for the first operation, and the button on the touch panel 28 may be used for the second operation (the first operation and the second operation may be opposite).

In the above description, it is assumed that the operator can perform two operations, the first operation and the second operation. However, it may be possible to perform three or more operations. For example, the third operation newly adopted when three operations are possible may be discriminated from the first operation and the second operation. Further, it is conceivable that the time from the completion of the third operation to the completion of deceleration is set longer than the first time and the second time.

(6) Sixth Embodiment The sixth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The sixth embodiment shows an example in which the operator presses the emergency stop button 34 while traveling in the automatic driving mode. As described above, the emergency stop button 34 is an emergency stop operation input device that gives an instruction to stop the autonomous driving vehicle 10 in an emergency. The emergency stop button 34 is pressed, for example, when the operator sees the surrounding conditions of the autonomous driving vehicle 10 and feels the danger of traveling.

FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically showing the time change of the speed when the emergency stop button 34 is pressed. The horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents speed. In FIG. 13, it is assumed that the autonomous driving vehicle 10 presses the emergency stop button 34 at the time t27 while traveling at the speed V0. Therefore, the self-driving vehicle 10 decelerates significantly within a short period of time immediately after the time t27. As is clear from the comparison with FIG. 6 and the like, the deceleration for the emergency stop is larger than the normal deceleration, and the vehicle rapidly decreases in speed. Then, at time t28, the speed becomes zero and the vehicle stops, and the deceleration control is completed.

When the self-driving vehicle 10 is stopped, the GO button 60 is displayed instead of the SLOWDOWN button 80, as shown in FIG. When the emergency stop button 34 is pressed, the emergency stop control is performed in preference to the acceleration / deceleration or stop control through the SLOWDOWN buttons 80, 90, SPEEDUP button 92, and the like.

In the first to sixth embodiments, it is assumed that the traveling control in the automatic driving mode is continued for the entire period. That is, the vehicle is driven in the automatic driving mode, including the period during which acceleration / deceleration is performed, the period during which the vehicle is stopped as a result of deceleration, and the period during which acceleration / deceleration is completed and the vehicle is traveling at a low speed. It was assumed that the device was performing operation control. Therefore, the operator instructs acceleration / deceleration or stop in the automatic operation mode, but is not involved in the actual speed control including the degree of acceleration / deceleration, and is not involved in steering. Then, except for the instruction regarding acceleration / deceleration, it is assumed that the control is performed by the control device that performs automatic operation. Therefore, the operator does not have to drive the self-driving vehicle 10 by himself / herself after issuing the deceleration instruction.

However, it is also possible to control acceleration / deceleration by a control device for manual operation provided separately from the control device for automatic operation. After the acceleration / deceleration is completed, it is conceivable that the driving in the automatic driving mode is continued by causing the control device for automatic driving to perform control again. Further, as another control mode, for example, after starting acceleration / deceleration or after completing acceleration / deceleration, the automatic operation mode is switched to the manual operation mode, and thereafter, the manual operation is performed. it can.
In the above description, it is assumed that the operator is on the autonomous driving vehicle 10 and that the autonomous driving control system is mounted on the autonomous driving vehicle 10. However, the operator can operate the autonomous driving vehicle 10 by remote control from a management center or the like. Further, in the case of remote control, the automatic driving control system may be mounted on the automatic driving vehicle 10 or may be provided in a remote place such as a management center.

10 self-driving vehicles, 12 pillars, 14 wheels, 16 panels, 18 doors, 20 floors, 22 seats, 24 operator seats, 24a, 24b seats, 24b seats, 26 armrests, 28 touch panels, 30 compartments, 32 lids, 34 Emergency stop button, 36 display, 44 operation mode button, 46 shift button, 48 winker button, 50 light button, 52 P brake button, 54 hazard button, 56 horn button, 60 GO button, 62 air conditioner tab, 64 wiper tab, 66 Top, 80, 90, 100 SLOWDOWN buttons, 92 SPEEDUP buttons.

Claims (11)

An operation input device that is manually operated by the operator while driving in the automatic operation mode and accepts the first operation or the second operation.
When the operation input device accepts the first operation, the first deceleration control is performed to decelerate the autonomous driving vehicle, and when the second operation is accepted, the second deceleration control is performed to decelerate the autonomous driving vehicle. With a control device that slows down
With
The time from the completion of the second operation to the completion of deceleration by the second deceleration control is greater than the time from the completion of the first operation to the completion of deceleration by the first deceleration control. An automatic driving control system characterized by its long length. In the automatic driving control system according to claim 1,
The first deceleration control is a control for decelerating the automatically driving vehicle during the period during which the first operation is performed, and the deceleration is completed immediately after the first operation is completed. Control system. In the automatic driving control system according to claim 1 or 2.
The second deceleration control is an automatic driving control system characterized in that the second deceleration control is a control for decelerating the automatically driving vehicle to a speed that cannot be reached immediately after the completion of the second operation. In the automatic driving control system according to claim 3,
The second deceleration control is an automatic driving control system characterized in that deceleration is performed by setting a predetermined target vehicle speed or a amount of change in vehicle speed. In the automatic driving control system according to claim 1,
The first operation and the second operation are performed on a common part of the operation input device.
The operation input device is an automatic operation control system characterized in that it determines an operation on the common part and accepts the first operation or the second operation. In the automatic driving control system according to claim 5.
An automatic operation control system characterized in that the common part of the operation input device is the same button provided on the touch panel. In the automatic driving control system according to claim 5.
The common part of the operation input device is the same button or lever.
The first operation is a long press of the button or the lever.
The automatic operation control system, wherein the second operation is a short press of the button or the lever. In the automatic driving control system according to claim 1,
The automatic driving control system is characterized in that the automatic driving vehicle travels in an automatic driving mode after the completion of the first deceleration control. In the automatic driving control system according to claim 1,
The automatic driving control system is characterized in that the automatic driving vehicle travels in an automatic driving mode after the completion of the second deceleration control. In the automatic driving control system according to claim 1,
The autonomous driving vehicle is further provided with an emergency stop operation input device for instructing an emergency stop.
An automatic operation control system characterized in that when an emergency stop operation input device is operated, emergency stop control is performed with priority over the first deceleration control and the second deceleration control. An operation input device that is manually operated by the operator while driving in the automatic operation mode and accepts the first operation or the second operation.
When the operation input device accepts the first operation, the first acceleration control is performed to accelerate the autonomous driving vehicle, and when the second operation is accepted, the second acceleration control is performed to accelerate the autonomous driving vehicle. With a control device that accelerates
With
The time from the completion of the second operation to the completion of the acceleration by the second acceleration control is larger than the time from the completion of the first operation to the completion of the acceleration by the first acceleration control. An automatic driving control system characterized by its long length.

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